Following Apple's rebirth over the past decade under the leadership of chief executive Steve Jobs, the company is now set to build on its established foundations over the next decade.

A report by Frank Cioffi, published by MarketWatch, indicates investors have multiple reasons to closely watch Apple as it heads into the new decade.

Cioffi cited the company's sustained sales of iPods, which have hovered at or above ten million units per quarter, as a strength that will allow Apple to "contribute consistently to its bottom line" even as the potential for big new growth in the MP3 market levels off.

Also noted was Apple TV, which while being rumored to face discontinuation as an experimental "hobby" that the company never managed to achieve blockbuster sales with, is still being updated and expanded. Over the past few months, Apple released the Apple TV 3.0 update and added support for iTunes LP and Extras.

Another topic to watch that Cioffi highlighted in the article was Steve Jobs. Despite back and forth reports on the seriousness of his health issues that culminated in the news of his liver transplant, Cioffi cited three takeaway discoveries: "Apple's stock price could still rise even as concern over Jobs' suspected demise grew, that Apple has a deep bench of talent aside from its chief executive, and that Jobs' determination is as extraordinary as his ability to create compelling products."

The article said that it's possible that new Tablet rumors may result in a disappointment for investors, "not because it won't be a good product or a good seller, but because it will not be the iPhone-level megahit many are expecting." At the same time, Cioffi notes that the blockbuster sales of the iPhone may be less important in the long run than the wild success of the iTunes App Store.

"Software still drives hardware, and with thousands of apps available and developers creating new ones every day, every other mobile platform will be playing catch-up for years to come," Cioffi wrote.

Apple's incredible financial results throughout the severe economic downturn are also a factor to watch closely, and in particular the growth in Mac sales. The article cited an ITIC survey which "showed 73% of global IT administrators and C-level executives say they were likely to allow their end-users to deploy Macs as their corporate enterprise desktops within the next year."

Cioffi also pointed to the fact that Apple has a strong position in home sales, with Needham & Co. analysts reporting that "Apple gets one out of every $10 spent on home computers worldwide. In the U.S., its dollar share is more than 1 in 5."

Apple's global market share of around 6% shows that the company has tremendous potential for growth, suggesting a "trend that may have a decade or more left to unfold."

FWIW, Robert Scoble says he knows someone who used to work at Apple with first-hand knowledge of a tablet device. According to him, Jobs wants it to be his legacy product and he seems to hint that Jobs may be sicker than we've been led to believe.

Apple TV clearly needs a shake-up. The TV revolution is not happening fast enough for Apple in that sector and they should bite the bullet; add BluRay and tuners or give up and come back in a couple of years.

The iPhone/iSlate platform will grow into an absolute monster over the next few years with Google the only credible competition.

...he seems to hint that Jobs may be sicker than we've been led to believe.

A liver transplant really only prolongs the eventual.

Once he's gone, the world will morn and Microsoft will rear it's ugly 95% market share head once again.

Where are the Windows 7 viruses when you need them?

The way I see things going, Apple is going to lean heavily upon the new iTablet/iSlate/iPhone OS UI with new devices and when Steve goes, OS X will fade off into the sunset on MacBook Pro's and MacPro's only as Windows 7 gains strength.

I don't think the innovation and drive will continue long at Apple without Steve.

China is draining the world of jobs, industry and resources. Japan never recovered from their real estate bubble, neither will the US until the Chinese market is saturated which could take quite some time. This means high unemployment in the US, Japan and Europe for at least a decade, and less people that can afford pricey computers from Apple.

So this iSlate, it better be cheap and very functional for mass appeal.

Apple would be wise to target the post baby boom generations needs with the device, it's the only segment of the population with the most disposable income. Most college grads are not finding jobs and moving back in with moms.

Could be a rise in basement dweller geeks though...

The danger is that we sleepwalk into a world where cabals of corporations control not only the mainstream devices and the software on them, but also the entire ecosystem of online services around...

Once he's gone, the world will morn and Microsoft will rear it's ugly 95% market share head once again.

Where are the Windows 7 viruses when you need them?

The way I see things going, Apple is going to lean heavily upon the new iTablet/iSlate/iPhone OS UI with new devices and when Steve goes, OS X will fade off into the sunset on MacBook Pro's and MacPro's only as Windows 7 gains strength.

I don't think the innovation and drive will continue long at Apple without Steve.

China is draining the world of jobs, industry and resources. Japan never recovered from their real estate bubble, neither will the US until the Chinese market is saturated which could take quite some time. This means high unemployment in the US, Japan and Europe for at least a decade, and less people that can afford pricey computers from Apple.

So this iSlate, it better be cheap and very functional for mass appeal.

Apple would be wise to target the post baby boom generations needs with the device, it's the only segment of the population with the most disposable income. Most college grads are not finding jobs and moving back in with moms.

Once he's gone, the world will morn and Microsoft will rear it's ugly 95% market share head once again.

Where are the Windows 7 viruses when you need them?

The way I see things going, Apple is going to lean heavily upon the new iTablet/iSlate/iPhone OS UI with new devices and when Steve goes, OS X will fade off into the sunset on MacBook Pro's and MacPro's only as Windows 7 gains strength.

I don't think the innovation and drive will continue long at Apple without Steve.

China is draining the world of jobs, industry and resources. Japan never recovered from their real estate bubble, neither will the US until the Chinese market is saturated which could take quite some time. This means high unemployment in the US, Japan and Europe for at least a decade, and less people that can afford pricey computers from Apple.

So this iSlate, it better be cheap and very functional for mass appeal.

Apple would be wise to target the post baby boom generations needs with the device, it's the only segment of the population with the most disposable income. Most college grads are not finding jobs and moving back in with moms.

Could be a rise in basement dweller geeks though...

According to this website, there is a pretty good success ratio for liver transplants at Steve's age.

click on National data, click on survival, click on survival by recipient age to see results.

Plus Steve is fortunately in a position to pay for a second liver transplant.... maybe his odds are even better?

I'm not a doctor, just not ready to write off Steve Jobs based on currently available scientific data...

With a bit of luck (and money) I think The Steve will be around for a while if he so desires... In which case Apple will become an even stronger company with desirable products at the higher end of the price spectrum. While I wish there were more options at cheaper prices, that will not happen.

I disagree about optical... I think BR will become as ubiquitous as DVD and Apple will miss it. I think they should at least put a BR drive in the Apple TV, then I would buy it.. eventually more people will stream and DL but that is miniscule compared to BR sales and reaching a broader base. Just my opinion....

With a bit of luck (and money) I think The Steve will be around for a while if he so desires... In which case Apple will become an even stronger company with desirable products at the higher end of the price spectrum. While I wish there were more options at cheaper prices, that will not happen.

I disagree about optical... I think BR will become as ubiquitous as DVD and Apple will miss it. I think they should at least put a BR drive in the Apple TV, then I would buy it.. eventually more people will stream and DL but that is miniscule compared to BR sales and reaching a broader base. Just my opinion....

How can BR become as ubiquitous as DVD when it requires an HDTV to really take advantage of it? I'm not saying that BR is going to die (in fact, I refuse to pay for media in any non-optical format due to DRM), but it's going to be one option among many: BR for the highest quality, "HD" downloads for portable devices, and streaming for convenience (the "I want to watch it RIGHT NOW" factor).

If anything, Apple should really just try and position the Mac Mini as the entertainment PC of the home. Stick in a BR drive and update Front Row to match the AppleTV 3.0 interface (plus capabilities). That would really make it more valuable. I don't like dedicated devices like the AppleTV which are only useful if you give your heart and sole to the Apple ecosystem. It's a great platform, but I'm not deluded into thinking it's the only platform out there.

... The way I see things going, Apple is going to lean heavily upon the new iTablet/iSlate/iPhone OS UI with new devices and when Steve goes, OS X will fade off into the sunset on MacBook Pro's and MacPro's only as Windows 7 gains strength ...

Have you even been paying attention recently? Even during the recession, Apple is coming out with record numbers. They are selling more now then they ever have, so what about that trend leads you to believe that it's going poorly for Apple? I'm not saying they will keep up this growth rate forever, but you make it sound like the trend has been decline.

And a statement like "most college grads are not finding jobs and moving back in with moms" is just begging for a source. If you're going to make predictions based on data, rather than anecdotes, you need a source. Otherwise it's a worthless statement.

Everything just prolongs the inevitable. Rumor has it, we're all going to die.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpamSandwich

FWIW, Robert Scoble says he knows someone who used to work at Apple with first-hand knowledge of a tablet device. According to him, Jobs wants it to be his legacy product and he seems to hint that Jobs may be sicker than we've been led to believe.

How can BR become as ubiquitous as DVD when it requires an HDTV to really take advantage of it? I'm not saying that BR is going to die (in fact, I refuse to pay for media in any non-optical format due to DRM), but it's going to be one option among many: BR for the highest quality, "HD" downloads for portable devices, and streaming for convenience (the "I want to watch it RIGHT NOW" factor).

If anything, Apple should really just try and position the Mac Mini as the entertainment PC of the home. Stick in a BR drive and update Front Row to match the AppleTV 3.0 interface (plus capabilities). That would really make it more valuable. I don't like dedicated devices like the AppleTV which are only useful if you give your heart and sole to the Apple ecosystem. It's a great platform, but I'm not deluded into thinking it's the only platform out there.

If you look in Costco today, there are as many BR as DVDs, more in fact and the price is down to the old DVD level. HDTVs are a lot cheaper and flying out the door even in the recession. I agree a Mac Mini with BR would also be a great or better choice, but more expensive. An apple TV with the ability to play the BR discs would sell way better in Costco. I use that example because that is where I shop mostly and Apple has made big inroads there already. I'm sure that it would apply across the retail market just as well. A tuner or 2 would be nice........ I'm waiting for at least BR and external storage since I heard that is not even an option at the moment Smacks of the same BS as my Comcast set top box.... I use the WD HD TV box at the moment with 3 externals (3.25T) attached. When the Apple TV can do that and a bit more I'll buy one.

I disagree about optical... I think BR will become as ubiquitous as DVD and Apple will miss it. I think they should at least put a BR drive in the Apple TV, then I would buy it.. eventually more people will stream and DL but that is miniscule compared to BR sales and reaching a broader base. Just my opinion....

Think about why DVD became a PC standard in the first place. It was the cheapest and best option at the time for the amount of data it could hold and was a huge jump over floppy discs. Blu-ray is great for your home entertainment system but its not ideal for your PC. Blu-ray will be around for awhile being re-solidified with 3D movies, players and TVs, but Im certain its the last optical format well see in disc form.

The argument that you can watch a Blu-ray movie on a plane on your laptop means you are lucky to get in a 2 movie before your battery dies and you arent even getting the benefit of the quality with your small display. Best just to get the DVD version and copy the files to your HDD or get a digital [download] copy for the flight.

Now we have HDDs that take up much less space for comparable data storage, are much faster for read/write, and use a lot less power to do it.

NAND is even faster, smaller and uses even less power. How much does an SD Card slot plus a 32GB SD card cost compared to a 9.5mm slot loading Blu-ray drive (the kind that fit in Mac notebooks) plus a 25GB Blu-ray disc?

Now we have 3-bit NAND on the horizon adding 50% more storage in the same place for the same price. There are some hiccups with it but you arent going to get that kind of capacity growth with optical discs. Even if optically recorded data could be as fast or as energy efficient as NAND its still not as easy to write and rewrite with and the drive is inherently fault prone do to more moving parts and takes up a huge amount of internal space and 5 of port-side space.

Also keep in mind that Apple hasnt added Blu-ray yet, the uptake on PCs is low and the usage even lower, Blu-ray drives for Apples machines cost even more than other vendors do to their thinness making it even more prohibitive, Apple added SD Card slots to most of their line up last year after the SDXC was announced despite being very late to this market when cameras now mostly allow USB cables to grab data, and the ODD is the one device that keeping the machine thickness up now that 7mm HDDs are out and 2.5 SSDs are standard at 7mm (note: there is a new 7mm ODD out but I dont think its slot loading and its certainly not Blu-ray).

Dick Applebaum on whether the iPad is a personal computer: "BTW, I am posting this from my iPad pc while sitting on the throne... personal enough for you?"

And a statement like "most college grads are not finding jobs and moving back in with moms" is just begging for a source. If you're going to make predictions based on data, rather than anecdotes, you need a source. Otherwise it's a worthless statement.

Hear, hear! Anecdotal data is the most common and most worthless form of evidence you can find online. Someone should come up with a way to flag anecdotal evidence so we can all just skip any posting that relies on such worthless blather to support its main argument.

If you look in Costco today, there are as many BR as DVDs, more in fact and the price is down to the old DVD level.

I’ve seen in-store Blu-ray players as low as $99, but have you tried to use them? They take a very long time to turn on, to load the disc and trying to scan is a nightmare. Plus, I’ve had one friend return a $170 Blu-uray player because it was freeze for a second every now and then while trying to re-buffer. With the amount of data being pushed skimming on HW performance and firmware optimizations to get a lower price isn’t the best way to with a Blu-ray player.

Dick Applebaum on whether the iPad is a personal computer: "BTW, I am posting this from my iPad pc while sitting on the throne... personal enough for you?"

Apple TV clearly needs a shake-up. The TV revolution is not happening fast enough for Apple in that sector and they should bite the bullet; add BluRay and tuners or give up and come back in a couple of years.

The iPhone/iSlate platform will grow into an absolute monster over the next few years with Google the only credible competition.

They really need to follow Netflix and buy the entire back catalog of movies for streaming. Apple could afford to do this for free or low cost and I think it would really drive AppleTV adoption.

They also need to bundle the new remote. It works so much better then the old plastic one...

Optical discs, no matter what flavor, are on their way out. They are as dead as dead.
Streaming, downloading and hard drives are coming back in a big way.

I agree, even about the hard drives because they have become smaller and cheaper and SSD hasn't lived up to it's promise, still too expensive.

However, SDXC just came out last year, with the potential to 2TB and twice the speeds of a 7,200 RPM hard drive.

The new Mac's sport a SD slot now, can access the higher storage, but not the SDXC speed.

Eventually they will, and that might very well replace both SSD and hard drives and produce a whole new range of thinner devices.

People scoff at me when I say BlueRay isn't coming to Mac's, but I feel Apple's need for thin and stylish computers will not make BlueRay happen on their computers, not even the BTO on MacPro's, just because why bother for one device that is seeing declining pro sales? (it's the same Intel processors and hardware is cheaper elsewhere)

Apple is focusing solely on making consumer devices from now on.

The danger is that we sleepwalk into a world where cabals of corporations control not only the mainstream devices and the software on them, but also the entire ecosystem of online services around...

However, SDXC just came out last year, with the potential to 2TB and twice the speeds of a 7,200 RPM hard drive.
[]
Eventually they will, and that might very well replace both SSD and hard drives and produce a whole new range of thinner devices.

SSDs will get faster, too. I dont see slot-loaded NAND on a card outpacing SSD in terms of speed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cnocbui

Not until you have fiber to the door throughout the world. I see no sign of that happening anytime soon.

I dont understand why optical drives in a PC cant go away until optical cables come to your home. There is no 1:1 correlation between them because they both have optical in the name.

Dick Applebaum on whether the iPad is a personal computer: "BTW, I am posting this from my iPad pc while sitting on the throne... personal enough for you?"

The Apple TV never took off because Apple isn't listening to what customers want.

I know Apple likes to tell consumers what they want, but in this case it's not working. They continue to include useless crap like YouTube and Facebook and redesign the interface, which still isn't right. Ever use YouTube on the AppleTV? It's a lot of fun typing with the remote control.

Even though most consumers have 16:9 TV's, Apple continues to use a vertical user interface for scrolling through movies and music.

For 3 years consumers have been asking for DVR and tuner capabilities.

So it's not a wonder why most people won't put down $249 when they can get the capabilities they want on other companies hardware for the same price. It just doesn't have a gray Apple on it.

The Apple TV never took off because Apple isn't listening to what customers want.

I know Apple likes to tell consumers what they want, but in this case it's not working. They continue to include useless crap like YouTube and Facebook and redesign the interface, which still isn't right. Ever use YouTube on the AppleTV? It's a lot of fun typing with the remote control.

Even though most consumers have 16:9 TV's, Apple continues to use a vertical user interface for scrolling through movies and music.

For 3 years consumers have been asking for DVR and tuner capabilities.

So it's not a wonder why most people won't put down $249 when they can get the capabilities they want on other companies hardware for the same price. It just doesn't have a gray Apple on it.

That is likely true but if you look at the unusual way the AppleTV came about it looks to have been shown, but not demoed, for the studios not the consumers. They didnt demo it until 5 months after that and I can only assume they expected to have studios on board by then, but they didnt. They whole concept seemed focused on studios getting on board, but they played hardball and beat Apple who looks to have had to give in plenty to eventually get them on-board a year later than expected. By then, other home entertainment appliances were already integrating internet-based streaming and downloads.

I dont see Apple being able to give it up the living room so I expect new HW and new services in the pipe. Then again, Ive been waiting for this for awhile, along with new ACDs. \

Dick Applebaum on whether the iPad is a personal computer: "BTW, I am posting this from my iPad pc while sitting on the throne... personal enough for you?"

Optical discs, no matter what flavor, are on their way out. They are as dead as dead.
Streaming, downloading and hard drives are coming back in a big way.

I think you are a bit off on that prediction. One problem is that many people do not have access to fast broadband. Another thing to consider is that some of the fastest broadband pipes (in the U.S.A) are provided by companies that also sell content. Comcast is constantly complaining about "bandwidth hogs" and are trying to push monthly data caps. 25-50 Gb a month might seem like a lot but that would be eaten up very quickly with even lower rez hd content. On the other hand they are thrilled to let you be a "bandwidth hog" when you are buying and downloading shows from them. These companies do not want their broadband services to become a dumb utility service for itunes, netflix et al because they do not get a cut of that revenue. And I believe that as streaming and downloading shows becomes more prevalent you will see a showdown between broadband providers and services like itunes and netflix. Net result IMHO will be that we the consumer will loose because of higher fees, bandwidth caps and even lose the ability to connect to certain services. That is why I believe that blu-ray and other physical forms of media distribution will be around for a good portion of this decade.

The Apple TV never took off because Apple isn't listening to what customers want. ...

Your entire post is predicated on the idea that the Apple TV "never took off" or isn't doing well in some way, when in fact this is just inaccurate.

If you read a lot of tech sites like this one, you might get the impression that Apple TV is no good, but if you talk to the people who actually own one or have bought one they uniformly love it and think it an excellent value proposition. Sales of the device are also quite good, even if not doing the gangbusters sales that other Apple products do.

Your basically posting about a popular misconception or myth, not fact.

Your assertion about the "vertical" interface is also wrong (it's actually horizontal now), and the idea that all Apple's problems can be put down to "not giving the customers what they want" is just too ridiculous to talk about.

I think you are a bit off on that prediction. One problem is that many people do not have access to fast broadband.

[]

That is why I believe that blu-ray and other physical forms of media distribution will be around for a good portion of this decade.

1) The majority doesnt have to have fast broadband for streaming to be a viable source for entertainment. Just look at YouTube and Hulus success. Theyre starting to offer 1080p, too. Having to wait for a buffering due to wanting higher-def isnt a deal breaker for many. I use torrents for shows BBC shows since Im in the US. I dont mind having to wait a few hours for it to complete. (BTW, the Doctor Who Special was good.)

2) Having a a viable digital streaming and downloads market doesnt mean that optical media and other formats have to fail for the others to succeed. Blu-ray is going to be the best format for a very long time, but that doesnt mean that other formats arent just as enjoyable. A lot of movies Im fine with in DVD format, and a lot of TV shows Im happy with 480p on Hulu.

3) I can buy a missed TV show or movie on my iPhone while sitting in an airport. That is pretty damn cool.

4) Wanting to gain back the slow, power hungry, and space hogging optical drive from my notebook doesnt mean that I dont want Blu-ray in my home entertainment center. I dont want it in an AppleTV since I already have one and certainly dont need to have two.

Dick Applebaum on whether the iPad is a personal computer: "BTW, I am posting this from my iPad pc while sitting on the throne... personal enough for you?"

FWIW, Robert Scoble says he knows someone who used to work at Apple with first-hand knowledge of a tablet device. According to him, Jobs wants it to be his legacy product and he seems to hint that Jobs may be sicker than we've been led to believe.

I gather it ain't worth shit.

Why would you bother to even mention it, especially since nobody is attempting to say otherwise?